Romantics and Revolutionaries

Level 5 (30 credits)

Subject Area:
Eighteenth-Century Studies and Romanticism

The Romantic movement originated in the 18th-century revival of balladry and romance and later absorbed the political and intellectual energies of the French Revolution, transforming received modes of expression and sparking a far-reaching debate on the power of the imagination and the nature of authorship. Studying male and female writers from 1760 to 1830, this module traces the development of the Romantic aesthetic, highlighting national and regional strands within British Romanticism while also exploring its engagement with the wider world. The Romantic revolution in poetry features prominently, along with the broad variety of other forms characteristic of the period, including the novel, autobiography, political pamphlets, and literary theory.

Preparing for this Module and Approximate Costs

The main textbook for this module is Romanticism: An Anthology, ed. Duncan Wu, 4^th edition (Blackwell). This contains most of the texts we will be studying. In addition, you will need to purchase Thomas De Quincey, Confessions of an English Opium-Eater and Other Writings, ed. Robert Morrison (Oxford World’s Classics) and Mary Shelley, Frankenstein or The Modern Prometheus: The 1818 Text, ed. Nick Groom (Oxford World's Classics). The other set texts will be made available in an online Module Pack.

Teaching will be delivered through a weekly lecture and seminar on campus and an on-line interactive workshop. Click here for a provisional syllabus and reading list.

To prepare for the module, immerse yourself in Romantic poetry and prose while finding out as much as you can about the historical and political background, in particular the French Revolution, the Peterloo Massacre and the anti-slavery movement. Think about the term ‘Romantic’ and the different ways it is used.

There are many useful introductory guides to Romanticism. Especially recommended are:

A Companion to Romanticism, ed. Duncan Wu (Blackwell, 1998)
Romanticism: An Oxford Guide, ed. Nicholas Roe (Oxford University Press, 2005)

David Duff’s essay ‘From Revolution to Romanticism: The Historical Context to 1800’, from Wu's Companion to Romanticism, provides an overview and is particularly relevant to the first few weeks of the module. It is available here.

Primary texts purchased new in recommended editions cost c.£35 if bought as a bundle from the University Partner bookseller. If purchased separately, the Romanticism anthology costs c.£30 and De Quincey's Confessions and Mary Shelley's Frankenstein c. £6 each. Please note that you need the 1818 text of Frankenstein.

The online module pack will be free of charge.

Why take
Romantics and Revolutionaries
?

From the ballad revival to Frankenstein and beyond, study literature from a revolutionary period across a broad variety of genres.
Discover how the Romantics altered the way we think and feel about childhood, the environment, generational conflict and other topics that resonate today.
Explore the significance of dreams, drugs and reveries in Romanticism through a group project on De Quincey's Confessions of an English Opium-Eater.

Learning Context	Lecture + Workshop + Seminar
Semester	One
Assessment	Written Assignment 1 (1000 words), 25% Group Presentation (20 mins), 15% Written Assignment 2 (3000 words), 60%
Mode of reassessment	Standard
Contact	David Duff

Content Notes

English Modules

Department of English UG Module Directory (2024)

ESH286

Romantics and Revolutionaries

Level 5 (30 credits)